Railway signal apparatus and system



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-She'et 1.

J. W. LATTIG. RAILWAY SIGNAL APPARATUS AND SYSTEM.

No. 486,047. PatentedNbv. 8, 189.2.

WH l

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2. J. W. LATTIG. RAILWAY SIGNAL APPARATUS AND SYSTEM.

No. 486,047. Patented Nov. 8, 1892.

(it P -o as t l I 8 QXWm/ema (No Model.) 3 Sheets-S heet 3. J. W. LATTIG. RAILWAY SIGNAL APPARATUS AND SYSTEM."

Patented Nov. 8,1892.

"Hi l" UNITED STATES V PATENT OFFICE.

JACOB IV. LATTIG, OF EASTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

RAILWAY SIGNAL APPARATUS AND SYSTEM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 486,047, dated November 8, 1892. Application filed August 18, 1892. Serial No. 443,373. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

i Be it known that I, JACOB W. LATTIG, of Easton, in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Railway Signal Apparatus and Systems, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that kind of railway signal apparatus in which the signal-op erating mechanism, having in it a mechanical break at some point between the signal and the signal-operating lever, is combined with means for closing the break and an electromagnet for controlling the operation of the break-closing means, the arrangement being such that whenever and so long as the magnet is inactive the break in the signal-operating mechanism will be open and incapable of closure by the break-closing means, and the signal, if not already in danger position, will be returned to and maintained in danger position or in that position (whateverit may be) which it is intended it shall assume whenever the magnet is inactive.

My invention, so far as the apparatus is concerned, resides, mainly, in the break-closing means. The break itself is conveniently provided by dividing one of the operatingrods of which the connections are composed and by formingthe adjoining ends of the two divisions in such manner that they will engage each other so long as they are pressed together. The break-closing means consists of a clamp-like guide, the walls of which (one or both) can yield wheneverdesired, but which so long as they are rigid and unyielding will press together and hold in engagement the two ends of said rod, which can slide freely between them. The movable member of the clamp is movable or fixed, according as the magnet is inactive or active, the magnet for this purpose controlling a latch or look, by which when the magnet is active, and only then, the movable member is locked tight in its clamping position. The apparatus thus organized is susceptible of wide and varied use in single and double railway track-block systems, in which the circuit for controlling the magnet may or may not be formed in part of the track-rails, or in connection with the home and distant signals of ordinary interlocking towers. t

, Some of its more important applications will be hereinafter illustrated and described, involving other and additional features of invention, which will be pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of the more important parts of the mechanism for operating and controlling. the signal. Figs. 1 1 1 1 are details. Fig. 2 represents my invention as embodied in a railroad signal system where the traffic, as on a double-track railroad, is in one direction only on one track. Fig. 3 shows the embodiment of the invention in a system of railroad-signaling where the traffic, as on a single-track railroad, is in both directions on i the same track. Fig. 4 represents the inventionas applied to a system in which the electrio circuitoontainingthemagnetis not formed in part of the track-rails. Fig. 5 represents the invention as embodied in a system where it is designed to act, in effect, asa trip to place the signal to danger automatically under certain conditions.

To an understanding of the systems illustratedin Figs. 2, 3, 4, and 5, it will be necessary to first explain the construction and mode of operation of the apparatus illustrated in Fig. 1.

O is the signal-casting carrying the semaphore E and pivoted in the usual way to the pole D. It is represented in its normal or danger position and is brought and held in this position by its weight T.

B B F G H are a portion of the signal-operating connections or mechanism leading from the signal to the operating-lever in the tower in the usual way. The break in this mechanism is between the parts 8 and F.

A is a suitable box to contain the magnet and the parts of the apparatus with which it is in more immediate operative connection. In practice I prefer to attach this box to the signal-pole D, so as to be out of tampering reach; but it may be inserted anywhere on the line of rod or pipe leading from the tower to the signal.

The part B is a toothed slide-bar, .which passes up through an opening in the top of the box and is guided and held in place from lateral movement by, guides s s...s F is also a toothedislide-bar, the teeth of the two bars Fv B facing each other-,-. fso1thatthey The part 7 v will interlock or engage when pressed together. It is shown in perspective in Fig. 1 The bar F, uniike the bar B, does not move between fixed guides and it is jointed to the end of rod G, which for this purpose projects into the box A through the bottom, at which point it is received between guides .9 3 hold the hinged toothed bar F in engagement with bar B, I make use of the lever J, (shown in face view in Fig. 1,) which is pivoted at to the box A and is intended to bear upon the rib or projection I on the back of barF.- This. swinging lever forms the movablemember of the clamp hereinbefore referred to-,-'the stationary member of said clamp being the fixed guide .9

To hold the lowerand free end of the lever up to its work, I make-use of a latch, consisting in this instance of an angle-leverhuing at its elbow in the box on a horizontal .pivot m, with its shorter arm arrangedvto extend up just behind the:lower:end of thewlever J; Thelonger-arm of the latehdevel extends across the path of the toothed bar-:F, and-it accordingly is at this pointforked or slotted, as-shown in the plan view, Figd to clear the bar and to allow thelatter freedom-vto swing into and out of engagementiwith .the

toothed. bar B.

To hold in turn the latch-lever in--the.p0s=i-- tion in which itwillprevent the'clamp-lever J from moving outwardly-,Imakeusezofa (1e;-

tent, which in this instance consists of'a hook n on the upper end of the pivoted armature lever O, which carriesuthe armature of the electro-magnet P, thearrangement beingsuch.

the. position represented. Undenthese con-.

ditions, if the rod H be pushedupward, then, inasmuch as the levers J L are heldnipv to their work by the'hook -or detent n, the bars F andB are held firmlyin engagemenntand. consequently the s gnal will be operated and; lowered to inclinedor safety? positions; If when thisis accomplish-ed, or, indeed,fiat-a-nytime during the movement, thei magn'eh P should be demagnetized, theidetentn would be at once removed from the latch-lever, and the, latter, together with the clamp-leven-J, would at once be setfree,thuspermitting the bar Fto swing back out ofengagement with thelbarB, the result of which would be'that Wheneverthe the signal would at once return to danger position and the bar B would thereafter be incapable of giving any motion whatever to the bar B; and so, with the parts in the position shown in Fig. 1, if the magnet were de-energized the signal could not be operated at all,

because the detent it would be drawn back from the latch-lever, and consequently there would be nothing at all to hold the bar F up to its work. If under these conditions the rod H were raised,the bar F would rise with -it; but instead of lifting the barB it would simply push to one side the clamp-lever J.

It will be seen from the foregoing that the signal is, in effect, governed entirely from the magnet P and. that the signal is inevitably returned to or keptat horizontalordanger position in .case of breakage of wires oranyportion of the=circuit, failure of battery, or shortcircui'ting of the; magnet froman-y cause, a feature of which is ofmanifest advantagexin block systems where the magnet-circuit. is

formedin part of the-track-rails, as will be understood by reference to Figs. 2, 3, 4, and 5.

. I11.Fig..2, R R is a section of :one track of a double-track railroad between twostat-ions X Y, the direction of traffic on which :is indicated by the'arrow. 1 Thesection isinsulated at each end, asindicated at t'. The rails. of

the section form part of an electric circuit,

which includes key K, and battery V at station Y, and magnet M at station X, the circuit being. completed by wires 1 2 3 t 5. This circuit I term the lock-operating circuit. There is also a second andlocal circuit at station :X, which includes the magnet P of. the-mechanism hereinbefore described, and its battery V, and is completed through the=armature-lever of magnet M, or through contacts controlled thereby. This .circuitI term the lock-circuit] Theparts andatheir connectionsare representedv in normal .position,thesignalstanding at danger.. The part. marked A is intended to conventionally represent the-apparatusof Fig. 1. Bothcir cuits are: open, thenlock-operating circuit at the-point controlled bythe key K, at station Y, th-e: lock-circuit at the: point controlled by thearmature-leverof magnet M,which ison its backz-stopa- Under these conditions, to'permit a train to enter theiblock the lever-man at the station X mustwwire .theman atstation-Y to connect him to his signal, which the station- Y man does by-closingthe lock-operatingcircuiti=throngh :his keyKflherebyi energizing 1 magnet M, which by attracting its armature closesthe locallock-circuit at station XL In thisway themagnetP is energized and-the break in .the=signal-operating mechanism at station X is consequently closed, thus enabling' the'lever-man at thisstationto shifthis signal to safety. It is to be noted,-however, in thistconnection that theability of the operator at station Y to closethecircuit through a broken rail or wire, a defective battery,a

magnet lVLatstation X,would be curtailed by several contingencies, as, forexamplepby bridge swept away, a land slide, and last,but most important,by 'a section of a train or even by a pair of connected wheels left on the insulated section. The men at both stations must, therefore, not only act in harmony, but the track, the circuits, and the battery must be intact, the preceding train must have en- .tirely cleared the block and all conditions of safety must be fulfilled before a following train can be admitted to the block. It is obvious that switches also may be included in the rail portion of the lock-operating circuit, so as to prevent the giving of a safety-signal if a switch be wrong. As soon as the train passes the signal at X and enters upon blocksection B R, magnet M is cut out, the current seeking the path of lower resistance offered by the wheels and axles of the cars its armature-lever drops back, and consequently the local lock circuit including magnet P is broken with the effect of unlocking the bars F B of Fig. l and causing the released signal to at once go automatically to danger. No two trains, therefore, can enter the block without the consent and aid of the lever-men at both stations. The signal is always locked at danger, or what is equivalent to the samething the break in the signal-operating mechanism is open, so that the signal cannot be moved from the danger position until all safeguards are complied with. There will be a corresponding arrangement for the section of the other track of the double track, except, of course, for this section, the apparatus at station X will be at station Y, and vice versa. Substantially the same arrangement obtains in applying the system and apparatus toa single track on which the traffic is in both directions with such modification of the lock operating circuits as required in order to err-- able the same insulated track-section to be used in common for both lock-operating circuits. This will be understood by reference to Fig. 3. At each station there is akey K to control the lock-operating circuit which includes the magnet M at the other station. Each keyK is between two contacts. The upper contact against which it normally rests is in the lock-operating circuit controlled from the other station. The lower contact from which it is normally operated is in its own lock-operating circuit. Thus each key when out of action forms part of the other circuit, and when closed to complete its own circuit necessarily opens the contact with the other.

The lock-operating circuit from key K at station Y is traced from that key as follows: 6, one rail of insulated section to station X, 7, K, (of station X,) 8, magnet M, 9, 10, other rail of insulated section, back to station Y, 11, battery E, (station Y,) 12, and lower contact of key K.

The corresponding circuit from key K at station Y is traced from that key as follows: 7, one rail of insulated section to station Y, 6, K (of station Y) 13, magnet M, 14, 11, other rail of insulated section back to station X,"l0, battery E (station X) 15, lower contact of key K. Each magnet M controls at the station where it is located a lock-circuit precisely similar to that already described by reference to Fig. 2. two lock-operating circuits, and the two local lock-circuits are normally open.

If the operator at station X, for example, close his key K, this will energize the magnet M at station Y, thus closing the local lockcircuit through the magnet P at that station and permitting the operator there to set. his signal to safety and admit a train from his endinto the block. ters the block the signal at Y, for reasons hereinbefore given, automatically goes to danger, and thereafter and until that train has passed out from the block a safety-signal cannot be given from either end. It is utterly impossible to give a safety-signal from both ends simultaneously.

The arrangement illustrated in Fig. 4 is one which can be advantageously employed All four of the circuits, the

The moment the train enwhenever for any reason it is deemed prudent to require the services of two men to operate one signal, even at the same station, one to control the key K, the other to operate the mechanical appliances for setting the signal. In view of what has already been said the arrangement will be understood from the figure Without further explanation. The man who handles the operating-lever by which the signal is set can never put the signal to safetv without the aid of the man at the key K; but

the key-man can always put the signal to or keep it at danger. y

The apparatus, as hereinbefore indicated, can also be used in connection with, any of the home or distant signals of ordinaryinterlocking-towers, and be made to act as a trip to place such signals automatically to danger as soon as a train passes beyond the signal; but for this purpose to open the break in the signal-operating mechanism only momentarily, the break then automatically closing, so as to restore the signal-operating mechanism to operative condition. This is illus trated in Fig. 5, in which the signal is supposed to be operated from a tower, the traffic is in the direction of the arrow, and the track has a short insulated section a little in advance of the signal.

There is a local lock-circuit containing magnet P for controlling the break in the signaloperating mechanism similar to the like air cuit already described andillustratedin Figs. 2 and 3. There is also a second circuit, which like the lock-operating circuits already described, is completed through the insulated track-section and includes the magnet M, by

whose armature the circuit of magnet Pis' opened and closed, but which, unlike those circuits, contains no key K and is constantly closed. Under these conditions the magnet M is normally energized, the circuit of magnet P normally is closed, and the signal-0pcrating mechanism normally is in operative connection with the signal; but whenever a train passes over the short insulated tracksections the magnet M is cut out or shortcircuited and the signal goes to danger. The moment, however, the train passes the section the parts resume their normal condition and the signal can, as before,-be operated in the usual way from'the tower.

Having described my improvements, what I claim herein as new and of my own invention is as follows:

1. The combination of a railway-signaLsig-v nal-operating mechanism composed in part of two rods or slide bars capable of engaging and being disengaged from one another, a clamp through which said bars pass and can move, means for lockin g the clamp in its closed position, and anelectro-magnet for control ling said locking means, substantially as and for the'purposes hereinbefore set forth.

2. The combination, substantially as setforth, of a signal, a divided signal-operating rod, a clamp for holding together the two parts of the rod which pass through and move in said clamp, and an electro-magnet-icall-yoperated detent for controlling the movable member of said clamp, substantially as andfor the purposes hereinbefore set forth.-

slide-bars forming 'partof the signal-operating mechanism-the clamp-lever, the-pivoted 1 latch-lever locking and releasing the clamplever, the detentfor locking and releasing the latch-lever, and the electro-magnet and its armature lever forcontrolling the detent, substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth.-

4. The combination,substantially as here'- 3. In combination with'the two toothed inbefore set forth, of a signal-operating mechanism having at some point in it between the signal and the operating-lever a mechanical break, means for closing said break, an electro-magnet controlling said break closing means, a. lock-circuit including said magnet, and a second or lock-operating circuit including'an electro-magnet which controls contacts included in the lock-circuit, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

5. A railway electric block-signaling sys- W tion, and. including at the last station the key by which it is closed and opened, and at the first-named station (or-station where the sig nals to beoperated is located) an electr0=magnet controlling normally-open-contacts in the local lock-circuit, the arrangement being such that the local lock-circuit at the one station can be closedonly through theclosure of the lock-operating circuit at the other station, substantially asand for the purposes hereinbefore set forth. 2

JACOB WV. LATTIG; Witnesses:

MICHAEL T. LYNCH, J BRUNNER 

